Thank You for 25 Years of Giving to MSAC

As we celebrate the 25-year anniversary of the Medical Student and Alumni Centre (MSAC), we take pride in our donors who made it possible, and we reflect on the impact this building has had on students, alumni and the wider medical community.

MSAC, affectionately known as the “Heart of the Medical School”, represents “a home away from home” for the UBC medical alumni and students. It opened on March 17, 1990 and is the culmination of insightful vision and philanthropic support from MD alumni, faculty and friends since the 1980s. These donors, led by Dr. David Hardwick, recognized the need for a community space that could accommodate a growing number of UBC medical alumni and students. As of 2015, MSAC has benefitted from 3,738 donations from 1,585 donors who have supported the construction and ongoing operation of MSAC.

MSAC is an inviting refuge away from the pressures of class, clinical studies, and the workplace. People can study, socialize, work out, participate in special interest clubs and workshops, and explore community initiatives. MSAC’s amenities and activities help to reduce the stress and fatigue that so often accompany the demands of the medical profession. The Centre also fosters the recreational, social, and creative pursuits of its members, resulting in well-rounded, capable graduates who are enriched through a range of diverse experiences.

“MSAC reminds us to strive for a healthy balance in our lives and provides us with facilities to stay fit—physically and mentally. Developing my artistic side at MSAC has helped me to become a better physician by fostering the ability to think flexibly on the ward. The Centre also offers a unique chance for colleagues to meet in a different context, share skills and mentor each other both inside and outside the realm of medicine. MSAC gives us the opportunity to see the human side behind the physician or trainee that we see every day. I have made connections there that I will carry throughout my career.”
– Christopher Uy, UBC MD ‘14 and PGY3 Neurology

MSAC is an invaluable resource for the medical professionals, professors, and aspiring health providers who work diligently to care for our community—and it is a Centre with a legacy that continues to grow. The next step is to help UBC’s distributed sites and teaching hubs create MSAC spaces of their own. UBC needs your continued support to help construct and complete centres for our distributed medical programs in Prince George, Victoria, and Kelowna.

“The story of MSAC is about more than simply bricks and mortar. It’s about a facility that encourages social and recreational engagement and the greater good—all the things that people do in community-building.”
– Dr. David F. Hardwick, MD’57
Faculty Advisor of the UBC Medical Undergraduate Society (MUS), 1975 – present

Thank you to our community of generous donors who continue to make MSAC the ever-expanding “Heart of the Medical School”.